Pushed To One's Limits
by I Will Achieve Vikturi
Summary: Stamina brawls don't always go well. And for Link, that means reaching his melting point and having a complete mental breakdown.


**Author's note - A certain reviewer has pointed out the fact that which Link and Zelda they were was quite confusing, because I mention Twilight Princess, Four Swords, and Ocarina of Time. Just to make this clear, they are the Twilight Princess versions because this is Brawl, not any of the other three. But when I mention the Biggoron's Sword, I am talking about the past. I was also utilizing the fact that in the game you can play with four Links. I turned that into the Four Swords Links traveling through Time as normal Link had...if that makes any sense.**

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Stamina brawls were always everyone's favorite. They liked to see just how much they could take before they were knocked out. A few of the contestants even liked the feeling of being completely worn out when their stamina ran out. That was a select few, though, and normally the wierd ones like Olimar or Jigglypuff.

Princess Zelda of Hyrule was known as one of the best fighters, thanks to her Sheik transformation. She had been able to beat everyone in the brawl except for Link. Nobody could defeat Link. Everybody always liked to make fun of her for what gender she should be considered, since Sheik is a boy. She was good at ignoring things, but they were really starting to get on her nerves.

 _Note to self: make sure to defeat them more slowly and painfully next brawl..._

She was always one to worry about Link's safety, given that he was normally reckless. But the worst that ever happened to him was him getting off the stage dead tired. He would usually go back to his room after that for the night, as stamina brawls were only held in the evening.

Link was what people would call the Knight in Tights, given his outfit, but he never really cared. It was the same tunic that the old Heroes had worn before him, and he was proud to wear them. He never bragged, but sometimes he came close. All he did, though, was smirk in the other person's direction and carry on.

 _Something's wrong with Link... He seems to be acting strange lately._

He always loved conversation, even though he was a man of few words. Oftentimes people would come to him of all people for advice, and he would gladly give it. Everyone was happy to have him around, and even though he never admitted it, Ganondorf was too. But he wouldn't even let people bring it up around him without sending them on their way with a ball of dark magic on their tail.

But Zelda's thoughts were right. Link has been acting a little off lately. She watched every one of his stamina brawls, and in one of them she could see sweat dripping down his brow. That _never_ happened before! He was one of those characters that had an unbelievable amount of energy to spend, and it was pretty hard to wear him out. Why else was he able to defeat Ganondorf so many times back in Hyrule?

At one point, there were four Links going up against each other. Red, blue, green, and violet. She knew all of these Links well as his entire personality.

Green Link was the one she knew most well. He was the focused and motivated part of Link as a whole, and when given a task he will stop at nothing to get it done. Given that he is easily subject to sidequests, who isn't? But the sidequests were always good to him in the past. Back long ago in the final battle with Ganon, he wouldn't have beaten him without the Biggoron's Sword, and that was from a _long_ sidequest.

Blue Link was the hotheaded and aggressive side of him. When provoked, he will literally hunt that person down and make sure he exacted revenge on him. He was known as the second best fighter out of them all, first being Green. He was also known as the one who went up against Link the most times out of any fighter there.

Red Link was the innocent and optimistic side of him. He had not seen much battle before until he was exposed to it since drawing the Four Sword. Ever since then, he's had to be a part of it for eras on end. He was the one who usually tried to keep the entire team in high spirits, though it didn't always work. He was also easily embarrassed; in the final fight with Vaati a long time ago, he had been snatched up and thrown through the air by his leg. The very first thing that came to his mind was pulling down his tunic. Zelda even remembered him shouting "No peeking!"

Violet Link, or Vio, was the calm and collected side of Link. He was the one who kept the team together, even through the worst times when they all threatened to leave. He almost always had his nose in a book on Hyrulean history or something along those lines, which made him a major contributor to their knowledge during their quest.

Even though Green Link was the best of the fighters, he didn't look too good out there at all. Just by looking at him she could tell that his stamina was dangerously low. He had been to many of these brawls of late, yet never seemed to have a problem with it. But now it looked as though he would pass out at any given moment. She couldn't quite see much of him due to the long distance, but she could tell that he would not last long.

"Urgh..." he moaned, trying to push his blade back against Blue, their swords interlocked. And blue was going _easy_ on him. With the last of his strength, he was able to knock him back and throw him onto the ground. He huffed in exhaustion and staggered out of there, dropping his blade in the process.

Her eyes flew wide at that; no matter how tired he had been before, never did he _ever_ drop the Master Sword. Worried sick about his wellbeing, she decided it was best to follow him back to his room. But by the time she made it there, his sword in her hand, he was already out cold. He seemed to have just thrown himself onto the bed, nearly his entire right side hanging off the edge and his shield still in its place on his back.

She sighed deeply at the sight and began unstrapping his shield, setting it at the bedside with the sword and placing him more comfortably on his back. She covered him with his blanket.

 _Sometimes I really do wonder how he makes it out alive..._

Link was completely still except for the steady rise and fall of his chest. If he heard her thoughts she wouldn't have known. His fate seems cruel, the weight of the entire world on his shoulders, but he seems to be choosing this path rather than any alternative he had been given.

She worried, but left him nonetheless. She really couldn't do anything for him while he was asleep, and she wouldn't have known what to do if he were awake anyway.

The next day went just like the last for him. He left the brawl completely wiped out, he dropped his sword, and she had to readjust him on his bed. This went on for the next week as well. Whatever was wrong with him, it was starting to cost him. He began to grow thin over time, most likely because he was neglecting his own needs. He slept far more often than he should have, and yet he still could not find any way of refreshing himself. Whenever he came down to the banquet hall for something to eat, he looked terrible, as if he had just been thrown around in a tornado and launched straight into Lake Hylia...which _did_ happen before.

More often than not, he had a large crowd gathered around him asking questions, wondering if he was alright, and so on. He only sat, hunched over, and ate in silence. He never said a word to anyone, but that didn't discourage them from trying. At one point, however, he'd had enough. He slammed down his cup on the table and yelled to everyone, loud enough that he knew everyone would hear.

"Will you people ever _shut up_!"

The other three Links were there as well. Vio kept Blue from lashing back, all the while staring wide-eyed at their leader, and Red had begun to cry. Toon Link, having a young mind like him, tried to comfort Red as best he could. Zelda walked up and set a firm, but still gentle hand on his shoulder to grab his attention.

"Link, there is no need to shout-"

"Maybe if you knew what was going on you'd shout, too! You can stop criticizing me anytime now!"

She seemed taken aback by that, "I'm only trying to help you-"

"Well, _excuse me_ , Princess! Not everyone can be as good as you!"

She knew it was completely pointless to reason with him in this state, so she simply left him alone.

And Link, too, had begun to cry.

A special stamina brawl had come up that next day. It was Zelda, also known as Sheik, against Link, the temperamental Hero. He was, of course, the first one to start the fight. Sheik pulled out a short sword she had and met with his own sword. He moaned as she slowly overpowered him, pushing him back and knocking him flat on his back.

He got up as quickly as he had gone down and wasted no time in charging at her again, though he was really not in the mood to fight. Zelda could see that he was drastically pale, and he was very weak and shaky.

 _He won't last long like this..._

The fight went on for what felt like forever to Link. He was growing more irritable, but less aware of his surroundings. Maybe this was what it was like to have one's stamina drained...

He hadn't noticed King Bulblin run by on his boar and drop a lit powder keg in the center of the bridge. All he knew was that there was a loud explosion only moments later, and he was sent down to his death.

 _"Link!"_ she cried in her male voice, grabbing a sort of tether and whipping it down towards him. It wrapped around his leg and caught him before he could land in the Zora's River. She began to pull him up when she was sure he was secure, when the unthinkable happened: her tether broke. He cried out as he plunged into the river, which was flowing quickly to Lake Hylia. He flailed his arms about helplessly, unable to withstand the force pulling both down and backwards. Zelda watched in horror as he was dragged down into the depths of Lake Hylia, seeming to surrender entirely.

Master Hand flew down next to Zelda and said softly, "Sheik, it looks like you won the fight."

There was complete silence except for Zelda. She shot him a dirty look, "How can you say that? I just killed Link! Are you really that heartless?"

"Do not worry about Link. He will be just fine. The rules of this world state that he will reappear at any moment now."

And sure enough, only seconds after he said that Link appeared as if from nowhere on the bridge. He stood there in shock for a moment, completely drenched from being in the river, before he collapsed. Zelda, having transformed back into her native form, caught him before he could hit the ground. She looked into the weary eyes of her friend, which seemed to plead with her for a breather.

Despite what his eyes said, he slowly stood up and walked away. He seemed calm for the moment, staggering off stage, until a wave of anger overtook him. He took the Master Sword in his hand and threw it off the bridge as hard as he could, letting it fall all the way into Lake Hylia. He threw his shield as well, but only to the ground, before running away. Zelda quickly turned to the disembodied hand.

"His sword will also return."

"It's not the sword I'm worried about...it's Link. Where in Din's name is he even going? I don't want him to get hurt, but he also needs to think. But he's in an unstable state, and needs to be watched over. But on the other hand-"

"Zelda, calm down. You're talking faster than you can think. We just need to let him think for the time being. He is most likely in a secluded part of the realm right now."

Her shoulders dropped at the realization that he was right. She hung her head in embarrassment and shut herself up immediately. Link, however, cried as he ran away from both of them. He could be heard quite a distance away before it was drowned out by the rising wind.

He threw himself against a barren tree and looked up at its branches; even though it was dead, it was still quite strong. He jumped up and hopped branch to branch until he found what looked like an abandoned nest that looked like it was fit for a Loftwing from its size. That is where he rested, slowly sobbing himself into a light sleep. He didn't know why he felt like this; all he really knew was that he just _did._

Link was slowly roused to the sound of gentle footsteps that he knew belonged to Zelda. He peered through a hole that was there in the side of the nest and saw his prediction to be correct. She was looking for him. How long had he been out?

"Link! Link, where are you!"

He decided not to make himself known, wanting just to be left alone. Eventually she would just move on past the nest and he would not have to worry.

 _"Link Rinku, get down here right now!"_ she screamed at the top of her lungs. She usually didn't use his full name unless she was mad, not unlike now. He groaned at the realization that he was spotted. He looked over the edge of the large nest, his eyes red and his face still wet, but from tears.

"There you are! I've been looking for you for hours! Do you know how much I-Link, why are you in a Loftwing nest bare-chested? Do you have any idea how filthy that thing could be up there?"

"I want to be left alone, Zelda," he moaned, shrinking back in the nest.

"No, you're getting down here right now," she stated matter-of-factly, climbing up the tree to grab him by the ear and drag him down. What she saw, though, was a half naked, curled up Link. He was hugging his knees close to his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. His entire frame shook with each ragged breath, his eyes shut tight therefore not noticing her presence.

"Link...what's wrong?" she asked, much softer than before. She placed a gentle had on his arm in hopes of getting a response out of him. All that happened was his sudden recoil as he shrunk back away from her. His loud moan of disapproval was what caught her off guard most, though. She inched closer to him while he continued to back away until he was up against the wall.

"You're acting like I will hurt you. Just tell me what's wrong, Link."

"I-I don't know," he tried, "I just don't k-know..."

She sighed in a mixture of sadness and exasperation; if he didn't even know, how was she supposed to find out?

"Can you at least try to remember anything that may have happened? Anything at all that may have caused all this?"

She could see that thought process written on his face like a book as he thought through all his recent memories. His mind, however, came up blank.

"No... Can I be left alone now? I need to think."

Zelda shook her head, "No, you can't Come on back, Link. We need to take care of you. Get you all washed up and rested."

He only reluctantly gave in, Zelda gently stroking his hair as he continuously made progress towards standing on his own. Once he was fully standing, she nodded and jumped down, expecting him to follow her. He didn't in the way she expected, though. He must have been out of it, because he didn't judge distance from the edge correctly and the next thing he knew, he was tumbling down through the branches.

All Zelda heard from Link was a dull thud and loud grunt as he hit the ground. She was quick to rush to his side and check him over; nothing serious. There were a few cuts and scrapes from the fall, but he was just lucky he hadn't broken anything.

"Are you okay?" she asked, receiving a slow nod from him. "I take it you've pushed yourself too hard through these stamina brawls?"

Another slow nod.

Much to his dismay, she slid one arm under his shoulders and the other behind his knees and lifted him. Knowing he couldn't protest, he only made himself comfortable as she held him close to her chest. It was easy to tell that he was drifting off, feeling the steady footsteps she took and how it bounced her frame and his own. When he heard a door flung wide open, he was snapped from his trance. She walked right through the banquet hall and upstairs until she stopped by the bathroom. She gently set him down.

"Link, get the water running and get in the bath. I'll come in when you're in there." She left without another word, carrying his tunic that he had not been wearing into his bedroom to wash it for him. He did as was told and closed the door behind him.

 _Sometimes, I really wonder about that boy..._

The thought ran through her head as she cleaned up the stains from his tunic and undershirt, able to get most of them out. Her concern for him always got the best of her, especially in times like this. Yes, they were spiritually bound together and it made sense for them to worry over the other at times, but she was a complete nervous wreck when it came to Link.

When the two shirts were as dry as they would get, she hung them up, knowing he does not wear them to bed. She then walked over to the bathroom where he was.

"You in the bath yet?" she asked, knocking on the door.

It took a moment for him to answer, a clear indicator that he was falling asleep, "Uh...y-yeah. I am."

Sighing, she turned the knob and opened the door, once more shutting it behind her and looking to see that Link was in there, only his upper half visible. She wouldn't _dare_ go near his lower half, being a girl. She took a bottle of shampoo in her hand and got some on her hands, scrubbing down his hair with it. He sighed in contentment, and when she got his hair rinsed he leaned his head back. It did not take long at all for Zelda's Hylian ears to pick up the sound of his light snore as he fell into a deep sleep.

So that meant she had to get him dressed herself once she was done. She did blush, but nothing more than that, as she slipped on his tights. She then carried him into his room, where he was laid in bed so as to sleep more peacefully. Before taking her leave, though, Link spoke up.

"Zelda...I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked, turning back to him.

"For earlier. I must have overreacted to nothing... I'm sorry."

"Link, it's fine. You were clearly exhausted and that can lead to hysterical behavior. Trust me, it happens. Now get some sleep, Wolfy."

He smiled; that was the name Midna personally gave him. And not long after that, he fell back asleep. She didn't leave until she heard that snore again.

 _Sometimes, I really do wonder how he makes it out alive... But at least he does._


End file.
